Crate and Barrel's Ultimate Wedding Contest

Our love story.

Eight years ago, in the lobby of their freshman dormitory, a charming southern gentleman swept an outgoing New Yorker off her feet. We dated throughout college, leading hectic schedules. Marcus traveled the country as a NCAA athlete; I traveled the globe on a cruise ship, as I studied abroad. Days into the trip, my ship got caught in between three hurricanes and hit a 60-foot wave. The emergency and time apart strengthened our bond. We came to love traveling together, and eventually we visited cities throughout Europe and the U.S. Appropriately, Marcus proposed upon my return from a trip.

Three important details about our Ultimate Wedding.

From our travels, we learned that sharing the experience is often the most rewarding souvenir. That being said, we want our cultures to take center stage at our wedding. To convey Marcus' southern background, we will serve rich comfort foods like fried chicken and candied yams. To indulge our guests in my heritage, we will entertain them by featuring a Caribbean steel band during the cocktail hour. Lastly, to showcase our joint cultural endeavors as a couple, each table at the reception will be named after one of the 25 cities we've traveled to throughout Europe and the U.S.

Our everyday dream day.

Our perfect day would include a unique blend of all of our favorite activities. Combining Marcus' love for sports and my passion for whirlwind travel, we would jet off to a foreign country just in time to see their largest sporting event. For instance, we'd go to London to see Wimbledon; Brazil to catch a soccer game; Vancouver to witness the 2010 Winter Olympics. At the end of the day, we would explore the city before catching a flight back home. Lastly, we'd throw a fabulous but intimate theme party for our loved ones to share our experience.